Delinquency in New Zealand: An Investigation of the Influence of Parental and Peer Group Relationships In the Etiology of Delinquency.

Abstract

The object of this research is to compare and contrast delinquent and non-delinquent boys on certain aspects of parent and peer relations. It should be obvious at the outset that this study was not designed to discover all the causes of delinquency, rather it was assumed that nay one boy is a delinquent for a complex variety of reasons. Two of the most complex being the effects of family and peer relationships. The main aim is to show that although juvenile delinquency is largely associated with the lower socio-economic groups, a major difference between delinquents and non-delinquents will be shown in the different kinds of attachment that the boys show towards their parents. Throughout attachment to parents is emphasized as a crucial hypothetical variable, as it is thought that adequate parental attachment is a very important aid to an effective socialization process.